Montanans can’t afford to elect Hill

In response to an article from earlier this week (“Hill campaigns in Bitterroot”), I believe that Montanans can’t afford to elect Congressman Rick Hill as the next Governor of our state.
Hill states that he has a three-pronged political agenda – “improving the business climate in the state, revising our budgeting priorities, and reforming the state’s educational system.”
Hill is wrong for Montana on all three of these issues.
To grow Montana’s economy for the long-term, we need to create jobs that support the middle-class. But former Congressman Rick Hill says we need to give more tax breaks to out-of-state corporations and eliminate regulations and oversight for development of coal, oil, and natural gas. That’s unacceptable, and our state deserves better. Think back to the time of the Copper Kings here in Montana. Have we learned nothing? Are we not still cleaning up the environmental messes they left?
Hill is also wrong on taxes. After former Congressman and lobbyist Rick Hill supported a new 4 percent, 400 million dollar sales tax on all Montanans, he backed special tax breaks for wealthy investors and big corporations.
When it comes to education, we need to make sure our children have the skills to compete, but Rick Hill wants to dismantle public education. He supports private schools through vouchers and tax credits and doing away with state standards for math and science. Mr. Hill stated that “we are second to last in quality of teachers.” What qualifies him to make that statement? How is he going to make those same teachers higher quality just because they teach in a private school?
As a Congressman, lobbyist, and insurance executive, Rick Hill has spent his career advocating for powerful special interests – helping Wall Street weaken consumer protections and health insurance companies charge women more than men.
For these reasons, we can’t afford to elect Congressman Hill as the next Governor of our state.Karin StanfordStevensville